FOLK FESTIVAL WEEKEND
It’s a given that most every event you pencil in or stumble upon at the Calgary Folk Music Festival has that can’t-miss-it feeling about it. There is quality, and there is quantity. That said, there are always a handful of musical acts who may or may not
The Herald’s Mike Bell suggests five acts worth checking out,
including The Jayhawks.
1. DOUG PAISLEY (Thursday 6 p.m. at Stage 4 and workshops):
This Toronto-born singer-songwriter comes from the Townes Van Zandt school of music — beautiful, bourbon-y takes on life, love, loss and the rest of the bruising and scarring bits of the human condition. His latest album, Strong Feelings, is a work of sublime strum-and-twang, and has made him one of this continents most feted acts in the alt country world. See him, see him often and be moved every single time.
2. FISHBONE (Friday at 10:30 p.m. at Mainstage and workshops):
Jamming the funk and punk into folk for a joyful, ungodly abomination, these veteran L.A. pioneers put on a show you won’t soon forget. Together in one form or another since the late ’70s, they’re now starting to get a second shot at the proper respect and accolades they deserve, thanks in part to the excellent 2011 documentary, Everyday Sunshine. Like Michael Franti or Arrested Development, who came to fests before, they will be the get-up-off-your-tarp and getdown-and-dance fave from this weekend. Guaranteed.
3. SEUN KUTI & EGYPT 80 (Saturday at 10:45 p.m. Mainstage):
That said, Seun Kuti might have something to say about that. The youngest son of Afrobeat originator, the late, legendary artist Fela Kuti, Seun sticks close to his father’s legacy and carries on his name without merely riding those coattails. He takes his father’s torch and fronts his mighty band with a charisma that cuts its own course and should have everyone on the island remembering his name.
4. HYDRA (Sunday at 6:45 p.m. Mainstage):
The prodigal daughter returns with a whole new band. Yes, when she left Calgary Leslie Feist had just finished fronting a scrappy little punk act named Placebo. On subsequent returns, she came as a solo artist, Feist, with a gorgeous, Grammy-courting take on indie torch pop. Now, she arrives and arises in Hydra as one of three known entities alongside fellow Canuckers AroarA and Snowblink. What does it sound like? Dunno. Great, probably. Even they can’t yet put it into words. You should probably see it and find out for yourself.
5. THE JAYHAWKS (Sunday at 7:40 p.m. Mainstage):
They are one of the cornerstones of the No Depression movement — a band that countered the new country contingent, tapping into the spirit of Gram Parsons, The Band, Townes and Messrs Kristofferson and Earle. In their first kick at the hound dog, they released a couple of flat-out classics in Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass, both of which have subsequently been given precious re-releases. Currently, and in a modified form, they’re touring the re-releases of their latter-period albums including the perfect, just perfect, 2003 offering Rainy Day Music. Expect magic.